The Deciding
by xxbegonedeidaraxx
Summary: -AU- What if Gothel never found Maximus in the forest? A different take on what could have happened. Rapunzel/Eugene
1. Chapter 1

_"The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible selfish people. You must stay here where it is safe. Do you understand Flower?"_

_"Yes Mommy"._

* * *

Rapunzel knew she should have stayed in the tower, where everything was safe. No men with pointy teeth or poison ivy and quicksand. Her head pounded and the unfamiliar trickle of blood that oozed from her arm was drying up and crusting. The wooden carriage she was in was bolted shut and the wooden walls wouldn't budge. Yelling for help wasn't an option, considering there was a dirty rag literally almost crammed down her throat. Her arms were tied together along with her feet.

Even if she did try to escape, there was nowhere to go. Rapunzel lost track of where they were six hours ago and all that was there to see were flat green plains with occasional trees and a dirt road. Birds were starting to sing, mocking Rapunzel with their freedom. It was rather funny that not even three days ago, she took her first step outside and declared she was never going back to the lonely and desolate tower, yet here she was, back to square one, except this time, she really was trapped, and she was in a prison carriage. Her stomach growled from lack of food and her face felt greasy.

The cart halted to a sudden stop. A Stabbington brother came and lifted the iron barred door up.

"You make one move and we'll really kill ya this time princess," he said while he untied her hands and legs. Rapunzel scrambled out of the carriage and stretched. She didn't think she would miss the outside so much. Some of the granules of dirt stuck to the bottom of her feet, but she relished the feeling. She looked over at the Stabbington brothers to see that they were arguing, presumably about directions. Rapunzel took this opportunity to explore a little bit. She heard a river streaming nearby.

"I need to go to the bathroom," the brothers grunted in approval then went back to bickering. Rapunzel made her way through the thick foliage, occasionally nagging her long braid on a branch and found a small stream. She carefully planted her feet on the rocks around the stream then bent down and washed her face with the cool water. Her hair stuck to her wet but clean face. She then washed the cut on her arm and wrapped it with a strand of her hair that went loose from the braid. She began to sing softly.

_ "Flower gleam and glow,_  
_Let your power shine,_  
_Make the clock reverse,_  
_Bring back what once was mine._

_Heal what has been hurt,_  
_Change the fate's design, _  
_Save what has been lost,_  
_Bring back what once was mine,_  
_What once was mine._"

The warmness of her hair then faded after her hair stopped glowing. Rapunzel unwrapped her hair from her arm and inspected her arm. Like always, the cut was no more.

"Hey! What's with the singing? Get back here right now before I rip all that pretty hair off your head!", one of the Stabbington brothers yelled.

"I was just...practicing," Rapunzel said meekly.

"Well we've got no time for singing. Get your pretty princess behind back over here!"

She let out a breath of relief they didn't see her hair glowing. The Stabbington brothers had no idea what her hair was capable of, and she was determined to let it stay that way. She overheard them saying that they would cut her long hair and sell it to various villages a while back and flew into a wave of despair.

Rapunzel dragged herself back to the carriage and let herself be tied up without a fight. She knew they were stronger and faster than she is, but not quite as intelligent. She could use this to her advantage.

* * *

Several days later, she starts seeing some small farms and more travelers on the road. They were mostly poorly dressed and quite dirty. More small housing appeared along with more people. Rapunzel guessed they reached a small village not far from Corona. People gathered around the carriage she was in and followed. Pretty soon, about thirty people started chasing the prison carriage and caused quite a commotion.

The carriage then halted and the Stabbington brothers wrested the crowd of people then came to unlock the barred door again. The crowd looked at her in wonder. One little boy in particular caught her attention. His eyes were light brown and his dark brown hair was parted in the middle. He wore a white shirt and a light blue vest over it. The sight of the little boy caused a familiar pang in her heart. He even had that same mischievous glint in his eyes. With the sadness that came over her, came with anger when she remembered what Eugene did. One brother ungagged her while the other unbounded her feet. They marched her along the paved road, her hair dragging along the sidewalks,until they reached a fancily built house, far handsomer than all of the houses she has seen so far combined.

Looking behind her, Rapunzel saw that the crows stopped about ten yards away from the house, now only whispering in each others' ears. One of the brothers knocked on the intricately made door. They both grinned menacingly at each other, probably predicting how much money they could profit. A professionally dressed man came to the door. He had graying hair and a thin mustache.

"Monsieur Williams will be right with you, please, so enter" He bowed and led them in. Both the brothers and Rapunzel looked in amazement at the interior of the house. Everything was grandiose, the mark of a true nobleman. The professionally dressed man showed them the waiting room, where they took a seat in.

_So this is it, I guess._

She was to be sold off as a maid after her hair was cut off and was destined to live her life off as a servant for this household. It pained her to know that she probably would never see her mother or Eugene ever again. Rapunzel sat there with her hands now untied, waiting for her future owner to show up. She thought back to Eugene. Sadness and anger surged through her. He had left her there for dead and is probably well off, now that he had his precious satchel. But why was he on a ship back to Corona, where he was trying to get away from in the first place? The whole situation confused Rapunzel. A part of her never wants to see his face again. Another wanted to run to him and sob maniacally. Run to his warm and strong hands, his intelligent eyes, and his boyish grin that showed a far more caring side to his nature.

Had it all been just a ploy all along then? To play with her heart, making her think he no longer cared for such superficial things, then betraying her in the end? She should have seen it coming. how could have she been so stupid?

The Stabbington brothers were both giddy like a child with candy while they talked vivaciously (and very annoyingly) about the money and what they were to do with it once they escaped to the next kingdom. A great big mansion, never ending women, and lazy days everyday. Rapunzel rolled her eyes at such vapid things they wanted. Why not a great big backyard with a waterfall? Or a grand horse?

"I am telling you sir, this one is special. I can sense it sir!" The professionally dressed man walked behind what Rapunzel presumed to be the master of the house. He was possibly in his early forties with dark brown hair, no hints of grey yet. His attire was not as professional, but she could tell from the way he observed with his careful eyes and the way he walked, that he was, indeed, the power of this house.

When he entered the room, the Stabbington brothers stood up. Rapunzel did also, but after hesitating. The housemaster held a hand out to one of the Stabbington brother and smiled while they shook hands.

"The name is Lord Williams, but call me John," he said, eying Rapunzel's hair.

"We are the Stabbington brothers, and we would like to negotiate with you about a deal," said the one with a scar on his mouth.

"Well of course. Right this way," John then led them to his office, which was quite cozy, a contrast to the magnificent house. He came and sat on the master chair behind the desk and motioned the professionally dressed man to bring chairs.

"Anything to drink?" The brothers looked at each other then declined politely," and you?" he nodded at Rapunzel. She hastily shook her head. He was very handsome for his age.

"Well alright then, onto the business. What is it that I must adhere for today?"

"We understand that you run a small wig factory in Corona, correct?"

John nodded slowly,"Correct, though business isn't doing very well, but go on".

"We have a solution to that problem, sir. Here, with us, is a young girl, willing to sell her hair, but for a profit."

"And what good would she be to me when she has no more hair?" Rapunzel was taken back by this offending statement.

"That's the thing, sir," one of the brothers got up and undid her hair, nearly pulling it out of her head with the rough movements,"she has never ending hair". John stood up in amazement as her hair began to lengthen.

"Over 70 feet of hair, sir, according to my calculations". John studied her hair.

"There are not many golden haired people out there, correct?"

John nodded,"indeed, and to have someone with over seventy feet worth of it! It's truly a miracle!"

The Stabbington brothers looked at each other with a devilish grin on their faces,"then I suppose we should begin to bargain". And so they did.

* * *

The two brothers and Lord Williams walked out of the office with grins on all their faces, whereas Rapunzel sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. It wasn't possible for a person to be...bought, right? Only objects could be bought, right? They had agreed to over 30,000 pence and even though that is a lot of money, Rapunzel couldn't help but feel...used? Sure she was now out of the Stabbington brothers' captivity, but it didn't matter if she were stuck in this mansion or in that tiny prison carriage. She was still a prisoner. Rapunzel looked out the window and saw them shaking hands and nodding towards one another.

She didn't even realize that she drifted off into her thoughts when she heard Lord Williams's voice behind her, startling her.

"You'll learn to like it here, it's not as big as it seems," he walked over to Rapunzel and placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her around so that his steely blue eyes looked into hers," I don't know what it is like for you, but please, I'm asking you, at least try to give this house a chance?"

Rapunzel nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond.

Lord Williams then stood up straight,"now then, I know that this was a last minute sort of deal, so I can't necessarily give you a room to live in, but hopefully, you'll find the guest room comfortable?"

He lead her to a bedroom, probably never used.

"Is this alright?" It was beautiful. Light sheer curtains fell in front of the windows, a dark gold and white bed combination, and maroon carpeting. It was a prison, a rather lavish one, she noted.

Rapunzel turned to Lord William,"why are you keeping me here? Why can't I stay at an inn and give you my hair?" her voice was on the verge of breaking.

"Because, my dear," he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear," there will be many more people who would want your hair for their own selfish reasons, and I don't want any competition. Of course, that's not the only reason why you are here."

Rapunzel felt chills going down her spine. What other reasons would a middle aged man want a young girl besides her hair? She felt her limbs freezing.

"Oh don't be foolish. I have a son of marrying age," his tone was edged with annoyance," though I don't know why I would want to marry him to a girl with no past, no wealth to her name, and no manners". He straightened his stance then spoke with a more professional tone.

"Now, wash up. I will send some servants up with clothes. Dinner will be served at dusk, and I expect you to be polite when my son arrives home from his trip."

He then left Rapunzel alone with her thoughts. The first thing she did was flop onto the bed. She noted its fluffiness and how the pillows puffed up. Closing her eyes, Rapunzel thought about the lord's son. Will he be handsome like Eugene? Will he be as quirky as Eugene? Will he be funny? Will he be tall? She created an image of him in her head. He would probably be handsome, like his father. He would probably share his father's sternness and the way he stands. He would probably enjoy reading. He would probably be intelligent and soft spoken.

Rapunzel stripped of her clothing and went into the washroom that was connected to her bedroom. There was water in the tub, though she saw that there were no soap or anything to wash with. She slowly brought herself into the water. The cold of the water bit her thighs and her shoulders. Pushing away the urge to shiver, Rapunzel dunked her head under the water. She only washed the crown of her head, like always. She'll ask to go swimming in the creek to wash the rest of her hair.

"Madam, we have left choices of dress wear on your bed, please let us know what your needs are, if you have any," a clipping tone said outside of the door.

She sighed and got out of the tub, careful not to trip over her own hair. Rapunzel took a towel from the stack laid by the door and wrapped her self into it. She unlocked the door to the washroom, then walked over to her bed, hair dragging behind her. Some dresses were laid out, as promised. They were quite simple and pretty, but couldn't pull Rapunzel out of her sadness. She dried her self then put on the light green dress, similar to the style that her previous dress had. The sleeves stopped at her elbows and the dress stopped at her ankles. There was also a selection of shoes, but she decided to go barefoot.

She didn't even bother with her hair after she dried it. She called for someone from the household to come and do her hair. If she was going to be a prisoner, might as well take advantage of the riches that came with being a prisoner. The ladies have never worked with so much hair at once. They didn't know what to do beside wrapping it into a bun on top of Rapunzel's head. She wasn't used to so much weight on top of her head, and stumbled a few times after standing up. It wasn't dusk quite yet. Rapunzel took this opportunity to look around the mansion. She came across many unused bedrooms and many empty rooms. There was a door that was locked, which she guessed was the son's room.

She jiggled the doorknob again. She didn't know why, but she did. The house was so quiet that the noise of the doorknob echoed along the hall.

"What on Earth are you doing?" an annoyed voice came from behind Rapunzel. She jumped in surprise. There stood a young man in a white shirt and black trousers and hunting boots.

"Oh haaah haah," Rapunzel laughed nervously," you scared me!" she placed a hand to her chest to stop her heart from pounding so fast. The stern look on his face didn't soften.

"I, ahem, was just...looking around," she said meekly while glancing down at her toes. He was very handsome, with striking features and a solid build, similar to Eugene's.

The silence between them was immensely uncomfortable. His arms were crossed in a defensive way. He could kill her if he wanted.

"No servants are allowed up here. Go back downstairs to where you belong and quit snooping up here!" he barked. Cheeks blushing, Rapunzel squeaked an "ok" then slid along the wall until she reached stairs. The handsome young man's eyes never left her. He watched her intently with his strong blue eyes. When she reached the end of the stairs, she let out a breath of relief. Relieved to be free of his intense glare and his overbearing attitude.

She managed to find the grand dining room, taking a seat on the side of the table. Lord William was already there, reading a newspaper with his eye glasses on.

"It seems as though you haven't properly introduced yourself to me yet," he said, his eyes never leaving his newspaper. He picked a strawberry from a bowl in front of him and popped it right into his mouth.

"Rapunzel," she mumbled.

"What was that?" he turned to face Rapunzel,"you will need to speak up dear, I am quite hard of hearing".

"Rapunzel, my name is Rapunzel," a moment of silence followed.

"Rapunzel," he said," quite an unusual name". She only stared at her plate in response. She saw the headline on the newspaper. It read _Corona Catches Infamous Thief: Flynn Rider._

She wanted to get up and rip that newspaper to shreds and cram it down the lord's throat. Tears burned the back of her eyes, threatening to fall. If only Eugene didn't get caught. Would he come look for her? Not likely, after he betrayed her. But why did it still hurt? Was it the fact that she knew she was having to spend the rest of her life cooped up in here? The house was very beautiful, but it was cold. Will living here be like living with her mother? Will she be able to leave now and then? Speaking of her mother, Rapunzel wonders what has become of her. Is she worrying about Rapunzel? Is she looking far and wide for her? Rapunzel hopes her mother can accidentally stumble across this town and look for her. It wasn't likely that her mother will find her. Even if she did, Rapunzel will just end up locked up in that tower again.

"Father, you would not believe what I have found on my-" Rapunzel looked up and saw the same man from upstairs. He stood there, staring at her and his father in shock.

_So this is the famous son. _

"F-Father, what is this _commoner _doing here?" he spat out. Rapunzel looked at Lord Williams. His face remained serene, no sign of any emotion.

"Son, sit down and I will explain". And he did. The son's eyes never left Rapunzel, making her feel uneasy. What was he thinking? Did he hate her? It sure seemed as though he did, based on the flabbergasted look he had when he saw that a _commoner _was sitting at his beloved dinner table.

Lord Williams gestured at Rapunzel and his son,"Rapunzel, Charles. Charles, Rapunzel". He then went back to reading his newspaper, leaving Charles and Rapunzel in complete awkwardness.

Charles was nothing like his father, looks-wise. Though both handsome, Lord Williams had hints of boyish good looks from his prime, whereas Charles had such striking and haunting features, probably inherited from his mother. His skin was fair and his hair was of auburn color. His nose and chin were sharp, not like his father's square jaw.

The servants brought in the food, smelling quite delicious, though not quite as delicious as the hazelnut soup her mother made for her.

Lord Williams cleared his throat and looked at Rapunzel, though she refused to return the look,"Charles, you and I both know that you have reached a perfect age to get married..." and before he even finished, Charles stood up in a rage.

"Charles, sit down and let me finish," his father said. Charles sat down, though his undeniable rage was seething from his skin," there have been many families that have come to our doorsteps, offering their daughter's hand in marriage and you have denied all of them. Well, since it seems as though you are not capable of picking out your bride, I will do it for you."

"But why _her_?" he glared at Rapunzel.

"Because, think about it. How many golden haired women are out there? Quite rare, correct? Now, think of how our family name will become known far and wide if you managed to marry a golden haired woman and produce golden haired children."

_Produce children? _How do you produce children? She pondered about it.

"And beside Charles, look at her! Wouldn't you want to search far and wide for a face that is as beautiful as hers?" Lord Williams chuckled while cutting a piece of meat with his knife then spearing it with his fork.

Charles looked down, his brows still furrowed,"I...suppose".

And with that, they all ate in silence. The lord excused himself to his office then assigned Charles to show Rapunzel around the Williams' Manor. She inwardly pouted at this, but went along with it anyways. Charles didn't say much other than "that's the bathroom, that's another bathroom," and etc. When they came to the upper floor, he was hesitant to show her a certain room. He opened the door and revealed that paintings were behind it. The room was quite large, but paintings hung from ceiling to the floor all around the room.

"Wow," she said in wonder. There were paintings of dogs, people, flowers, everything!

Rapunzel walked over to a particular one that caught her eye. It was of a pretty girl and a boy kneeling in front of her.

"Whose are these?"

"My mother's," he stared at a grand painting of a women in a deep red dress. She was fair skinned with striking features. He had a dazed look in his eyes, as if remembering a memory. It was a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.

Rapunzel stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"You miss her, don't you?" Charles didn't respond. They both stared at the painting in silence.

* * *

Eugene gulped down a plate of eggs and ham, savoring everything. This was the first full meal he has had in over a week and it was splendid. Catherine sat, watching him, which kind of creeped him out. She was pretty, he guessed, but it was still creepy.

"You're not from around here, aren't you?" she asked.

He looked up with his mouth full. He swallowed and laughed nervously,"A ha haaah, no. I'm not". He cleared his throat and looked away from her.

"That's strange. You look familiar..."she narrowed her eyes. His blood froze, remembering that he was a wanted thief now. Posters of him were probably everywhere. It's dangerous to stay here. In fact, it was dangerous anywhere near Corona. He made a note to himself. After getting Rapunzel back, they were moving far _far _away.

"I uh, want to thank you for taking me in, but really," he got up from his chair," I have very important business to attend to, so I must bid you, good bye!" He dashed out the door, looking frantically for Max. Instead, two redheads caught his attention. They both had stocky builds and both holding a bag full of something heavy.

He pushed through some people then ran up to the brothers, grabbing one by the collar.

"Where the hell is she!" he didn't care if he was going to get pummeled. He didn't care if they were going to turn him in. As long as Rapunzel was safe, he would happily turn himself in.

"Answer me dammit!" surprisingly, the one brother he grabbed whimpered in fear while the other took some steps back.

"We sold her to a village to the west of Corona!"

Sold her? _Sold _her? Eugene clenched his fist in fury. Then he let go of the Stabbington brother's collar. Was she safe? Was she living as a servant?

"Flynn!" he turned around, to see that everyone was looking at him, and Catherine running up to him.

"Why did you just leave like that?" He looked away.

"Look, I really need to leave. It's urgent. If you want to help, please tell me how to get to the village that is west of Corona". Catherine blinked in surprise.

"You're leaving? So soon?" He nodded.

"Then I'm coming with you!" she touched his arm with her hand.

"Um, no ho ho ho," he said, gently pushing her hand away," this is a _solo _kind of thing, and frankly, I don't think you would want to come with me, seriously."

"Oh but I do! You have no idea what it's like to be trapped here in this boring god forsaken town!" she begged, tugging on his sleeve.

"Actually, that sounds pretty familiar," he muttered.

"Just let me come along with you on your journey! I know the way to the village you are talking about, just _please _let me go with you! I promise, I won't even talk if you don't like me talking!" He looked around and saw that nearby people were watching them. They were probably causing a scene.

He chuckled nervously," Um, I think that we should discuss this," he started nudging Catherine to her house,"inside".

"Oh please oh please oh pleeeease let me go!" she looked at him with her big brown eyes. This girl wasn't even seventeen yet, but she _did _know the way to Rapunzel.

He gave in with a sigh,"Fine, you can come, just be sure, no questions. Got it?" She nodded.

"What about your parents?" he asked while she flew around the house, packing all of her belongings for the trip.

"Oh," she said, running around her apartment," they're dead. I've been on my own since last year!" she concentrated on whether to bring a pot or a pan.

"Oh,"he muttered as they went to get the horses,"sounds familiar".

And with that, the two were off to find the lost maiden.

_End part I  
_

...

**Oh hai dere :D**

**okay, so I want to talk about some things about this chapter. Specifically, the storyline so far.**

**There is no Pascal and no Gothel (yet...) but I want to keep this story as "realistic" as possible, so language and sexual references will be suggested in later chapters. **

**The Stabbington Brothers probably won't even appear again until the end. The O.C's will play somewhat of a big role in this story.**

**What has happened before this story:**

**Gothel never showed up, but the S.B (Stabbington Brothers) still managed to track them down. They don't know that Rapunzel has magical hair, but since blonde hair is rare in the movie, I figured they would want to sell her hair for a good profit. I'll write about Eugene/Flynn's side of the story next chapter. **

**Gothel will probably appear next chapter too**

**If you have any suggestions on how to make the story better and more enjoyable to read, please leave a comment and I'll be sure to include it :D  
**

**until then R&R and have a good day!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Responses:_

**peculiarities**: thank you so mu-huh-huh-uch~ x'D just don't get your hopes up too high, I'm not a good author xD

* * *

"Face it, we're lost," Eugene and Catherine (or rather, Cat, as how she would like to be referred to) have been on the road for about two days now, and there was still no sign of the village, or any people, to say at the very least. Cat insisted on going her way. It was a shortcut! She had said. With every hour, Eugene felt his patience wearing. Even Max snorted here and there in annoyance. He would suggest going the traditional way, the way the map had shown. But Cat kept insisting on her way. She was as stubborn as a nail, that Cat.

He was on the verge of just ditching her and be on his merry way to wherever his instincts told him to go, but the new found pride in him refused to do so. He remembered that he owed this girl his life. She had fed him back to health, along with his horse, never leaving his side and tending to his every need (okay, maybe not _every _need).

"We are not lost. The village is only a day away. I swear," she said simply.

Eugene almost tore out his hair in frustration,"That's what you said two days ago!"

She shrugged nonchalantly,"I guess we need another day to travel then. Big deal."

_Teenagers _he thought bitterly.

The two set up a campfire for the night by a creek. Eugene sat on one side while Cat sat on the other. He glanced at her, now and then, making sure she wasn't glancing at him. Her eyes never left the fire, though she did tell him to stop looking at her. Eugene mumbled an apology while getting out his now empty satchel. There was still a crumpled up wanted picture of him. He unfolded the wanted poster. The nose was still off as ever. He smiled, he recalled being so high strung up on the fact that nobody could get his nose just right. Of course, looking at the poster now, all he could feel was a vacant memory of his former self, which was humorous in a way. Eugene had left his _former _self behind not even three weeks ago, and now he thinks of himself as a changed man.

Cat lifted her head in curiosity,"what's that?" Eugene immediately stuffed the paper back into his satchel.

He didn't respond. Instead, he just stared at the flames, flickering, dancing, tittering with each breeze that blew against the fire. All he could think of was Rapunzel. Rapunzel and her long gold hair, innocent green eyes, and spunky but kind nature. He wanted to hold her so much, to lay awake each night and talk until one falls asleep. To take her away from her tower and watch the sunset everyday on a grassy hill. Just the thought of Rapunzel being sold off to a rich douchebag made Eugene want to hurl over and retch. His stomach tightened every time he thought of Rapunzel. The brothers had promised that she was safe for now, and that bought some time for Eugene.

"Why do you need to get there so quickly?' he looked up at Cat, unsure of what to say.

"Get where?"

"The village. Is there someone special you must rescue?" he looked away.

"Something like that yeah," then he realized he said no questions a few days earlier,"Hey, I said no questions!" And with that, they both returned to silence.

"Where will you go after you find her?" Eugene lied down then turned on his side that faced away from the fire. He closed his eyes, blocking out anything Cat had to ask. For now, he will ignore the real world. Ignore the mistakes he made in the past. Ignore everything and live in his make believe fantasy of only him and Rapunzel living happily forever.

* * *

**Five Days Before:**

It has been days, maybe weeks that he was on the road. Eugene and Max are exhausted, stripped of their previous energy of finding Rapunzel. The villages they visited chased them away, once recognizing Eugene, he couldn't fathom how, seeing as how his nose was completely off on all the posters. They had reached the last pence a day ago, now having to feed themselves with the few berries from various bushes. There was a buzzing in his ear, though he wasn't sure if it was actual fly, or if it was part of some cruel hallucination that God played out in front of him. Eugene wasn't even sure what was real or not anymore.

Max has been carrying him, just going along with where the road has been taking them. The sun beating down on Eugene was unbearable. He had taken off his shirt and used it as a turban, shielding both him and Max from the unforgiving sun. No sign of human life has been seen since the village they were chased out of four days ago.

He really should have taken some supplies from Rapunzel's tower when he escaped the wretched prison cell. If it weren't for Atilla and his band of thugs, Eugene would have been buried in a ditch with his neck broken. He had hurriedly, on Max's back, rode all the way back to Rapunzel's tower, adrenaline rushing through his veins, hoping with all his might that Rapunzel had returned home safely.

"Rapunzel!," he called,"it's me, Eugene! Let down your hair!" There had been no response. Eugene felt as if his heart had started sprinting excessively. Where could she be? Where could the Stabbington Brothers have taken her? Of course, he really didn't have a lead on anything and he really didn't remember how he had gotten to his current situation.

Eugene acted out of pure instinct and now, he and Max are nearly half dead. At least in prison, there was free food.

One second he was on Max, the next, he was on the ground with Max nudging at his side. Had Eugene collapsed? He didn't even know. He hasn't felt the impact, but by now, half of his nerves were numb.

He remembered not too long ago when he thought he knew what hunger was, always complaining inwardly about the lack of food given at the Snuggly Duckling. He has now realized that that wasn't hunger. His body has been eating itself out, his stomach was ravenous, never ceasing to settle down. The feeling of emptiness had overtaken him, and the fact that Rapunzel might never be found didn't help.

Eugene didn't know how long he stayed like that, a crumpled mess on a dirt road. He felt something going down his chin (spittle perhaps?), but didn't have the energy to bring his hand up and wipe it. He mumbled incoherently at Max to leave Eugene be and to help himself. Of course, the horse refused to leave Eugene's side.

_Is this is? _he thought, _am I to fail and never find Rapunzel? T_hat last thought gripped his heart with so much force, he choked back a sudden tear. but even then, Eugene refused to cry. He breathed shakily, trying to think of something joyful, but nothing came. Instead, his mother came into mind. Eugene remembered when she would sing him to sleep, her soft voice lulling him into a peaceful slumber. He shut his eyes then opened them again, seeing his mother walk towards him. She stopped about three yards away, holding outstretched arms.

"Ma..?" it couldn't be.

"_Eugene, my love. Come here so I can see how much you have grown!" _her smile did it. Dry tears came, his body heaving, shaking uncontrollably. He gasped, he choked, but couldn't get up. He told himself that it wasn't real.

Hallucinations than began to play before his eyes. Mostly of his mother, his father, and Rapunzel. They walked and danced around him. Eugene couldn't handle it. He fought with all his might to hold on to his sanity, biting down on his tongue, trying to block out the increasingly loud voices of his loved ones. They smiled, they cried, they spoke, they stared. It was too much. Then colors, colors he didn't know even existed played before his eyes. They flashed in blinding brightness and oozed from the clouds.

"Please," he mumbled," make it stop". With all his energy, he managed to turn on his side. He saw an ant a few feet away running away from him.

There was also feet. Confused, Eugene shut his eyes then opened them up again. The pair of feet was still there. He looked up and saw that it belonged to a woman. She bent down and helped him sit up. His vision was still a little blurry.

"Rapunzel?"

The mysterious maiden brought a pouch up to his lips. Water soon poured into his mouth. It was the best tasting water he has ever had. He drank it down voraciously, until the last drop was gone.

"I need you to get up so I can help you," she said. She lifted him off the ground with surprising strength and helped him over to a wooden cart, with a medium sized horse at the reigns.

The cart was full of hay, straws of it scratched his bare back, irritating it. It was heaven when compared to the cold hard ground he has slept on for who knows how long.

Several hours later, they pulled into a town close to the river. The girl brought her horse and Max into a stable then helped Eugene walk to her house. She laid him on a cot, then fussed with him when he refused to accept a shirt from her. The girl remained at his bedside, making sure he received plenty of water. It reminded Eugene of when he was very young and has come down with a fever. His mother fussed and cared for him, making sure he got his medicine, then lightly scolding him for spitting the bitter syrup out.

Eugene passed out sometime in the afternoon, not caring if it angered the girl.

He managed to sit up on his own by evening and was able to function somewhat normally, though he was pretty hungry, only receiving biscuits three hours ago.

"Oh, you're up already?" Eugene saw that the girl had taken the liberty of cooking up something. He didn't know what was on the stove, but it sure as hell smelled good. His shirt and vest sat in a neat pile at the end of his cot.

"You...didn't have to do that," he said while putting on his shirt, the familiar fabric falling over his torso,"but thank you". The girl smiled warmly at him, obviously proud of the compliment. She turned back to stirring whatever she was making.

"So uh, my name is Catherine, Cat for short, but Catherine's fine".

"That's...a nice name," Eugene was stuck for words. He was usually pretty smooth with girls, but it felt kind of wrong for him right now to be flirting.

"You know, normal people would offer their names,"a coy smile played on Catherine's lips,"but I guess you're not exactly normal, are you?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"As a matter of fact, I am not. The name's Flynn Rider," he said.

"Seems to suit you," she said in a matter-of-fact voice. And that was that. Eugene ate the best porridge for dinner that night then walked around the town for a bit, "borrowing" an apple form a stand and giving it to Max. He had returned to Catherine's house to see that she was in her nightgown, setting up the cot for him.

"Washroom's upstairs, if you're hungry, there is some jerky in the kitchen, along with water in the well by the stables," she stood back, admiring her work. The cot was neatly made. Clean sheets proportional to the pillows.

"Thanks Cat," he said and flopped down on the cot, not taking off his boots and ruining the perfectly made cot. Catherine surprisingly laughed while Eugene looked at her weirdly. And she thought _ he _was strange.

"Wow. Didn't know whether I should be offended or not," he said in a somewhat sarcastic voice.

Catherine tucked a wavy brown lock of hair behind her ear and giggled and shook her head. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, which was sort of cute.

"Just go to sleep," she said, then blew out the candles as she went upstairs. And so he did.

* * *

**Back to Present  
**

Rapunzel has been stuck in this mansion for about five days now, and already, she feels trapped. The maids tend to her hair twenty four seven, and it's been nothing but irritating. Charles and her have been trying to ignore each others' presence, though it was difficult. Just like she had predicted, Charles enjoyed literature as much as she did. The mansion held a vast collection of books in the library, some even dating back to the middle ages. Books are quite hard to come by. The fact that the Williams household had a library full of books was overwhelming, but in a fantastic way. Rapunzel would lose herself in fiction each day, soaking in the story as if it really did happen to her. The nonfiction part of the library was a bit smaller than the fiction, and not quite as interesting as the fiction. However, Rapunzel devoured whatever information she could. She read about the great kings and queens of the past, and straying far from the human anatomy books.

From the window, Rapunzel would sometimes watch Charles practicing his archery skills. She longed to join him, to feel the outside breeze and the grass below her feet. She wanted Lord Williams to just chop off her hair and be done with it. No hair was worth protecting if she were to be locked up, never to feel the outside ever again. He had insisted on tending to her hair, making sure each strand was as silky and shiny as possible. Rapunzel never told Lord Williams the truth though. The way her hair would turn an average brown after being cut. The magic, the gold, every special feature that came with her magical hair would cease to work. It would still grow, but at an oh so slow pace.

The concentration on Charles's face was apparent. His brow furrowed as he held the end of the arrow all the way back, the wooden part of the bow brushing his lips. He closed his eyes and let go of the arrow. The arrow cut through the air in one swift movement, landing right on the bull's eye of the target thirty feet away.

_A perfect shot _Rapunzel thought to herself. She watched in awe for the next hour or so, watching Charles practice. He didn't just shoot, he practiced on horseback, a moving target, anything that was beyond the skill of an average archer. It was way too cool.

At dinner time, Lord Williams was the only one talking, as usual. The last verbal encounter Rapunzel and Charles was five days ago, in the painting room. She wanted to go back into the room, but every time she had attempted to do so, Charles would either be watching or she would see him coming out of his room. It might be a bit early to think about it, but Rapunzel had a feeling Charles liked her. Whenever they were both in the library at the same time, he would glance at her then look away quickly. She didn't like it, but it was flattering in a way.

It has been five days since Rapunzel had her hair completely down. Lord Williams had ordered his servants to make sure that her hair stays out of the way and kept neatly. Rapunzel had wanted to take out whatever ridiculous hairstyle they would attempt each day when she went to sleep, but always gave up. There were always braids she missed, and whenever she tugged out a braid, there would be about five more that were concealed behind a lock of hair. She would puff in frustration and give up.

She tugged off her day clothes and put on a light purple night gown. She was about to turn to her bedside and blow out the lamp, then saw Charles leaning on the frame of her doorway. Rapunzel almost jumped out of her skin. It took her a couple moments to get her breathing back to the norm.

"You scared the living daylights out of me!" her voice shook from the shock that lingered in her system. He rolled his eyes in response. Rapunzel has come to learn that Charles had no patience for "childish" behavior. He was as stern as his father, but not quite as serene. Charles was hot tempered and passionate. Whatever mood he was in, could easily be read on his face.

"I just wanted to know something," glanced back and forth between Rapunzel and the floor," why do you never let your hair down?"

"Is my hair any of your concern?"

"As a matter of fact, it most certainly is. My father has made up his mind about our marriage. And since I am to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I might as well start caring for your well being now".

Rapunzel turned away from Charles," just because I'm stuck with you, doesn't mean I have to tell you of my whereabouts and my hair".

Charles inhaled, as if sucking in the desire to yell, then exhaled, more calmly this time. He then left her, and for the first time in a while, Rapunzel felt as though she has won something.

_End Part II_

_..._

**Oh hai dere.  
**

**Okay, so I'm struggling on how to write Rapunzel's personality. I don't want to make her seem too out of character, but the only personality traits that I got from the movie was that she was naive, caring, and fun loving. I want to add more depth to her personality, such as anger and fragile-ness, but I'm afraid that would make her seem too OOC.**

**What do you think?**

**Anyways, sorry for the short chapters. I'll try to write longer chapters next time:)**

**To verify some things, none of the O.C's will have any relationships with the canon characters, for that would be wrong. And plus I hate it when O.C's end up with canon characters xD**

**I apologize for any grammar errors. I wrote this chapter and now finishing it at two in the morning lol. If you see anything weird, like a spontaneous random word like "potato", it's my sleep deprived mind talking.  
**

**Thank you for reading and I'll be sure to update as soon as I can :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Corona (though I would be rich as fuck if I did), Eugene, Rapunzel or any of the Tangled characters. I do, however, own Catherine, Charles, and Lord Williams. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Responses:_

**Peculiarities**: Sure! I'll PM the future chapters to you if you want :D I'll send the night written ones since my use of grammar sucks at night lolll Thank youuu

* * *

"Charles! How dare you let her out! Do you know how much the village would gossip if they see her outside? I forbid you to ever leave this house. Am I understood?"

Rapunzel hung her head in shame, not daring to look at Lord Williams in the eye.

She knew it had been a mistake, but to simply be trapped in this god forsaken house for another second was unbearable. The air was almost suffocating her. She had been weeping in her bedroom; weeping for her lost freedom, her hair, her fate, for Eugene. It was the first time she cried ever since she met Charles. Rapunzel didn't want anyone to think of her as a weakling, just like her mother did. She went to the bathroom to wash her face, but looking into the mirror, she would see the life nearly drained from her eyes, and not just because she had been crying.

Rapunzel had never given much thought to her looks before, but she could see that her skin had become sallow, the area under her eyes dark and hollow. A week and a half had done as much work on her face as ten years could do.

"Father, she is suffocating in this house. It would not be a bad idea if you would just let her go out into the courtyard maybe once in a while-" Charles protested, but was cut off by his father.

"Enough! I have had enough of this nonsense," Rapunzel looked up to meet Lord Williams' glare,"you will not, I repeat, will _not _ever go outside without my consent," he then turned to Charles, who looked almost as scared as her," and as for you, I forbid you to communicate with her, not until the wedding. You will not talk, look, or even think about her."

He then sat down in his chair and excused Rapunzel and Charles from his office. They refused to meet each others' eyes.

"He didn't mean it, most of it at least," Charles half whispered," we can still talk in secret and maybe if we're careful, I can still take you outside, maybe for a walk even, around the courtyard."

Rapunzel shook her head, blinking back the tears. He didn't get it, nobody did. It didn't matter if she could go outside into the courtyard or not. She didn't want to go outside into the courtyard, only to go back to this wretched mansion. This place was driving her crazy.

They had ended up in the painting room, trying to admire the works of past artists, but only halfheartedly so.

It was nice that Charles was trying to make her feel at home, but deep in her heart, Rapunzel knew that at home was with Eugene; whether it be the streets or a lavish palace, she wasn't home until she was with Eugene. She desperately wanted to be with Eugene, she come to realize, but part of her would never forgive him for betraying her.

After that incident in her bedroom, Charles had apologized the next day at breakfast and had offered to show her every secret room and passageways she hadn't known about.

Rapunzel knew that he was trying to be as polite as he can, but she saw the way he looked at the servants. She even remembered when he thought she was commoner her first day here. His look of disgust had done it. Never in her lifetime, would Rapunzel ever come to love Charles.

"Did you enjoy today, at least?" his voice brought Rapunzel out of her thoughts.

"Y-yeah. It was really fun".

"Would you stop that?"

Rapunzel looked up at Charles's face.

"Stop what?"

"That! I can't stand it when you have that look on your face and when you talk like that!"

"I'm...sorry Charles".

"No! Don't fucking apologize!"

She felt confused. what did she do that was so wrong? She was quiet, polite, and didn't get in the way. What was so bad that Charles had to burst out yelling at her?

"You always have this gloomy look on your face that drives me fucking crazy! You always look sad and you never talk and-" he let out an air of annoyance.

"And what?"

"Boring! All you ever do is read and look out the windows with that look on your face. I try and communicate with you but the conversation can never last because all you do is act depressed and-ugh!" he threw up his hands in exasperation.

Rapunzel couldn't believe it. Her? Boring? Well, she did spend eighteen years in that tower and had no one to communicate with besides her mother. Rapunzel couldn't blame Charles for thinking she was somewhat boring. He was right. Everyday, all she would do after breakfast is head straight for the library to read. If not, then walk around the mansion, looking out the windows, overlooking the village. Every morning, the streets would be bustling with people at venders, selling bread and ham. Every afternoon, the life would fade a bit then the evening would bring out a whole other life. Rapunzel wanted to be a part of the village life so much it ached her.

Charles glared down at her, probably expecting for her to say something, but she couldn't. Rapunzel turned and walked out the painting room then floated down to her bedroom, where she spent the remainder of the day without feeling much.

Her hair was in complete disarray, her face felt gross, and to top it off, her back was itchy but she was just too tired to scratch it. Some servants had come up to inform her that the lord and his son were waiting at the dinner table, but she abruptly shooed them away, and they obliged with not much question. Of course, Lord Williams had come up that night to scold her for her behavior.

"I will not accept this. Any of this. I took you in from those hooligans, and you repay me with this preposterous attitude?" he paced back and forth in front of her bed post, looking as steamed as the lobster they had for dinner yesterday.

She couldn't hold it back in before she burst out laughing. Nothing about the current situation was funny of course, but she had to laugh. _Took her in? Repay him? _

"And what are you guffawing about now?"  
Rapunzel wiped the tears from her eyes before she spoke.

"You _bought _me and demand I be locked up in this hellhole, plan to sell my hair and marry me off to your son, and you expect _me _to behave properly?"

He stopped pacing and looked her dead in the eyes,"I gave you a home, somewhere you can be comfortable and safe".

"You bought me for my hair and I would rather cut off my own tongue before I can call this place comfortable and safe".

"You will learn to _hold _your tongue in _my _presence!"

Rapunzel never had much difficulty in obeying her mother at home, no matter how heated each conversation got, but this man, this _vile _man can go to hell if he thinks Rapunzel would ever hold her tongue in his presence.

"Like I would ever do that," she muttered. Lord Williams then reached over the bed and grabbed her wrists, yanking her off her bed, her legs hitting the floor painfully and dragging her out of her room.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" She struggled against his grip, but alas, his hands were far superior than hers. She managed to get up on her feet, but barely. What did he want with her? She shut her eyes tightly, trying to push away the cruel images of what might happen out of her head. Her mother had warned her against the evils of men, but Rapunzel thought otherwise when she met Eugene.

_Eugene, _she thought, her heart heaving, _I wish you were here. _

Lord Williams then came to a door on the upper levels of the mansion. He opened it, revealing a dark room and tossed her inside. Rapunzel landed on the cold hard ground her knees crashing down painfully. Lord Williams stood at the doorway, glaring down at her, arms crossed.

"A night in here will do you good." He then slammed the door shut before Rapunzel could stop him. She leaped to her feet and crashed her body against the door, full force. She pounded with her fists, yelling incoherent things, things she wouldn't even dare think about when she was living with her mother, even if her mother did say them often.

"You can't keep me in here! Let me out!" she kicked, clawed, and hit the door with all her force, but it would not budge. Her lungs burned from holding in air. With a final slam, she mustered out one final curse.

"Damn you Williams, damn you to the eternal depths of hell!". Rapunzel then sank to the ground, out of breath, gasping, choking at the stale air.

It was already bad enough that she was being kept in this house, but to be cooped up in this unfamiliar room was on a whole new level, even if it was only for one night. The air was stale, the only source of light was her hair, but she determined to keep her hairs' magical powers a secret until it was to be cut off.

Rapunzel sat in a fetus position, her back against the door.

This wasn't the first time she had ticked him off; on the third day she was here, he lectured her about her unsanitary habit of walking around barefooted. Charles had scoffed at Rapunzel and her refusal to do as Lord Williams had told her. The servants had given up trailing after her with a pair of shoes and begged the lord to accept the fact that Rapunzel would not put on a pair of shoes. He had hesitantly approved, but the disapproval was apparent on his face during dinner.

Time passed, and it was so dark, Rapunzel didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. She dreamt of being outside with Charles, basking in the sun, sitting on the grass, watching Charles practice his archery. He was obviously showing off, but it was okay. Rapunzel clapped whenever he made a bull's-eye. She danced and danced, occasionally plucking a flower from the ground. Her eyes were closed, feeling everything, the sun, the grass, the warm breeze.

_"Rapunzel"._

She had opened her eyes and saw Eugene standing there, with that quirky look on his face. She wanted to run to him, but when she tried, forty feet walls sprung up from the ground, blocking off Eugene.

Rapunzel then woke up with a start. It took her a moment to realize that her dream wasn't real. Her back was aching and she was hungry. Some lemon bars sounded appealing to her appetite. Rapunzel subconsciously got up and tried the door handle. It was unlocked and gave way to the hallway. She wandered around, still half asleep. Eventually finding a bathroom, Rapunzel washed her face and cleaned her teeth. Her stomach rumbled angrily, yowling and howling for food.

Rapunzel placed a hand at her stomach, trying to quiet her stomach. Her stomach was still flat, which was somewhat impressive, given the lavish foods that Rapunzel consumes regularly. She tried to imagine her stomach being three times the size it is now. The image in her head made her laugh, but amidst her laughter, it came to her. Rapunzel swung open the door, and made sure nobody was there.

She crept quietly along the halls, hopefully not waking anyone. She snuck into the kitchen and managed to find some lemon bars left from dessert last night. Rapunzel wasted no time scarfing down the lemon bars and washing it down with a cup of milk. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she then hurried out of the kitchen then ran up to her bed room. Her hair dragged behind her, occasionally snagging on a table leg. She pulled her hair into her bedroom and closed the door. Pulling on a clean dress, and briefly brushing some of her hair, Rapunzel then hurriedly ran to the library, but not before coming in contact with Lord Williams.

_Darn it._

"Well, aren't we up early? Care for some breakfast?", he paced his hand on the small of her back. He looked as if nothing from last night ever happened.

"Uh, no thanks. I already ate" Rapunzel then scurried away from Lord Williams and into the library. She looked around, making sure nobody was there then hurried over to the human anatomy section, digging out as many books as she can.

She had a plan.

* * *

"This is it, we're here", Cat pointed at the tiny village in the distance.

After several days, they have finally made it, the small town just west of Corona. Eugene has never been so happy in his life. Once he takes Rapunzel back, he'll be a free man, being able to go anywhere and start fresh, with Rapunzel and Max at his side. Maybe rent out a shop in the neighbor kingdom and start his own nick knack shop, or become a smith. It was all too perfect.

"Wow, I never though you could smile like that, Flynn", he looked over at Cat, embarrassed that she caught him in a moment of "uncool-ness". Eugene cleared his throat.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!", he then charged forward, towards the village. The morning breeze whipped his face. It was refreshing, after being stuck with Cat, he can finally see Rapunzel. The village became bigger as he neared. He dismounted Max and went up to a random lady carrying a basket of bread.

"Excuse me, have you seen a blonde girl by any chance?" she looked startled, but her face softened (probably due to his good looks).

"Yes I have. Just about one or two weeks ago, two large men had her transported to the lord's household. We villagers have not seen her since. Rumor has it, she is to marry the lord himself. Ever since his wife died, he has been nothing but somber. Sad really, the girl was quite the beauty."

His heart fell.

"Is there any way people like us can see her?"

"Well, I haven't seen her since she arrived here, but if you're looking for work, you can always work at the mansion where she lives."

"That's great!" he could see her, and that's enough.

"But beware, many have worked there, but never to be seen again. My sister worked there as a maid, and she never came home," the lady then leaned in close to Eugene's ear,"my guess is, Lord Williams has the maids locked away in a cellar and the men cooked for dinner when he tires them."

A chill went through Eugene's whole body. He sure as hell didn't want to end up in someone's plate, but seeing Rapunzel and making sure that she is safe was worth it.

"Um, thanks lady".

Horse hooves came from behind him. Cat dismounted her horse then smacked his arm.

"What the hell was that Flynn?" He stared ahead, and spotted the huge mansion laying on top of the hill. It had to be the place where Rapunzel is. He then turned to Cat.

"Well, your work here is done. Thanks for everything Cat, really, but now I'll take it from here. Travel, eat, explore! You are free to go". He then mounted Max and rode towards the mansion, leaving a stunned Cat behind.

* * *

"Well, Mr. Grimes, I don't normally do this, but you're hired" The man behind the desk grinned at him.

"Thank you, Lord Williams, you have no idea what it means to me," Eugene spoke behind gritted teeth, trying to keep his anger at bay. This guy had to be at least thirty five years old.

Eugene worked his charm with the lord, and apparently, it worked, he was now a butler.

"Please, let me show you around", he got up then gestured towards the door.

...

Eugene had to admit, this place was pretty impressive. This was what he would've wanted for himself before meeting Rapunzel. It was grand and huge, but a bit overblown. It was just too much, which is surprising, considering Eugene used to love big houses.

"And this, is the library, home to my vast collection of books! Is this not beautiful or what?"

Eugene rolled his eyes. He was never a reading kind of person.

Then his eyes stopped at the table next to the ceiling-floor windows. Sitting there, was Rapunzel. His stomach fluttered. She sat, her head propped up by her elbow while her other arm flipped through pages of a book.

"Beautiful," he half whispered.

"Yes, and-oh! There is lovely little Rapunzel! Isn't she just exquisite?" Lord Williams chuckled. Eugene wanted to hit him.

"Sir? The shipments are ready." the two of them turned around and saw a maid with a roll of parchment in her hands.

"I will be out in a minute Martha." the lord then turned to Eugene," Do you mind? I have some important business to attend to. Henry will escort you to your dormitory" Lord Williams then left with the maid.

Eugene took a deep breath then cautiously went to Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel?" She looked up from her books. Her eyes began to widen.

"Eugene? Is that you?" He merely nodded, overwhelmed with happiness. He wanted to hug Rapunzel, and keep her in his arms forever. Rapunzel stood up, obviously taken back. She looked a bit more tired then he remembered, but it didn't matter. Eugene opened his arms out to her, ready to take her in. Rapunzel however, stepped back for a moment, then ran out of the library.

"Rapunzel! Hey!" he followed her out the library, but ran into someone. He looked a little younger than Eugene (twenty, twenty one) but was about two inches taller.

_We-he-hell, what a dashing young fellow. _

It was nice to occasionally see a fellow good looking man around here. Eugene almost held out a hand to the man, but changed his mind when the stranger glared at him with his cold blue eyes.

"Watch where you are going, peasant!" he then turned away and followed Rapunzel up with stairs.

Confused, Eugene went into the library and picked up the book Rapunzel was reading. He stared at the contents, then set it back down, even more confused. What the hell was she doing, reading a human anatomy book?

This is getting quite weird...a little bit too weird for Eugene.

_End Part III_

_..._

**Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't updated in a while (finals ya know). But anyways, I apologize for the pacing of this chapter and sorry for not writing Gothel yet. I promise to update soon! Remember to R&R.**

** Bye bye! :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Please take note:**_

_**This chapter is when the Rated M comes into play**_

Eugene has never been this bored in his life. The suit he was wearing was uncomfortable and the way the mansion was so quiet, it drove him nuts. He hasn't talked to Rapunzel in two days; this was not working out as planned. Since he worked the morning and the afternoon shifts, he saw Rapunzel often, usually in the library or in the dinner room. She never met his gaze, and it was driving him crazy. Why is she acting like he doesn't even exist?

Eugene knew better than to try and communicate with Rapunzel. Charles, the guy Eugene had run into two days before was always watching Eugene, always sending him away to fetch something. He narrowed his eyes at Eugene whenever Eugene looked at Rapunzel. Charles was always around Rapunzel, making sure nobody went near her.

The servants had told him that Charles had a distaste for commoners and pretty much every server in the household. They said that Rapunzel and Charles were to marry this upcoming fall. Eugene shook his head at the thought. Sweet, kind Rapunzel, married off to _him? _It was too radical.

* * *

_Several days earlier..._

Rapunzel sat at the edge of the stream, watching Charles practice his archery, the sun warming her legs. It's been forever since she has felt this free. The courtyard was humongous, built with its very own water system, just so it could imitate the real non man made streams outside. Rapunzel didn't really care whether is was real or not, the sun was shining, and her hair was free, not in any tacky and heavy hairdo the maids usually did for her. Charles was rather taken aback at how long it is; about seventy feet of it!

Rapunzel sat, picking up stray flowers here and there to place in her hair, just like how the girls back in Corona did it. Of course, it turned to be a complete disaster; what was supposed to be a flower crown turned into a tasteless afro of flowers on top of her head. Charles had lightly made mock of the mess atop of her head, laughing heartily with Rapunzel joining in.

"Say, Rapunzel?" Charles stared at the clouds above them, lazily floating by, while Rapunzel was picking the what seemed like thousands of flowers out of her hair.

"Hm?"

"I was wondering, how _did _you come to be at my household?"

Rapunzel didn't now exactly how to explain. She simply said," connections led to this and that, and now here I am!" She tried to put any kind of enthusiasm into her voice, but alas, it all came out flat.

She took a deep breath and tried again," I'm from a place where...there's not a lot of people, but my mother," Rapunzel took a moment to gulp down the lump in her throat," my mother, she passed away, so the people that knew her, they took me here."

The lies easily flowed from her lips, and Rapunzel was quite surprised at her ability to lie. Charles twiddled with his bow, refusing to make eye contact with Rapunzel.

He mumbled something about his mother giving him that bow and how it was his fault she died.

Rapunzel felt as though they had finally connected as friends, but all of that was shattered within five minutes later, when Lord Williams stormed outside with a servant then ordered them to come inside immediately.

* * *

_Back to present:_

Rapunzel did all she could to ignore Eugene, though it wasn't hard, considering Charles was always around, making sure no harm came her way. It was surprisingly comforting, the way he was so protective of her. It was as if he were a brother, rather than a to-be husband, though it came in the way of her visited the painting room many times. The painting of the woman in the red dress became more familiar each time Rapunzel saw it. It was as if Rapunzel personally knew Charles mother, which is weird because they have never met. But something about her drew Rapunzel close. She resembles someone, but Rapunzel couldn't put her finger on it.

As for her plan, Rapunzel needed Eugene for her plan. At first, she needed just any random servant for her plan, but Eugene would work ten times better. She prepared first by reading most of the human anatomy books, then sneaking around asking maids at what time of the night everyone gives into slumber.

According to the books, if a woman and a man were to engage in intercourse at the right time, the woman will then begin carrying a baby in her belly. The book said that the chances are higher if it is done a week or less before a woman's monthly bleeding begins.

Rapunzel had blushed furiously at first, reading and barely glancing over the crude images of the human body.

It was odd, she thought, that her mother told her that the sun creates people; that when a woman wants a child, she must pray each night until the "Lord" decides that the time is right. When He decides that the time is right, and the woman is worthy, the sun will drop a single ray of sunshine onto the woman's belly. each month, it shall swell until a baby is born.

Reading the books were a bit depressing, since Rapunzel all through her child hood until now had believed that beautiful story of pregnancy.

Looking up from the story she was reading, Rapunzel saw Eugene passing by and glancing her way. She felt the heat rise to her face and looked away. It was so embarrassing and awkward now that she knew what all men looked like under clothing. She couldn't even look at Lord Williams the same way she did before.

A few days later, Rapunzel decided to try and communicate with Eugene. After all, if she wanted to engage in this "intercourse" with him, she needed to talk to him first. She had ignored him for a few days now. She didn't want to take the chance of talking to him then burst out crying. That, and the fact that she knows what he looks like naked.

But for her plan to work, they needed to communicate first.

Charles and her were sitting at the dinner table one morning, nibbling at biscuits. She looked around casually, making sure no servants or maids were there.

"Charles, can you go out and fetch me some flowers later? You know, the pretty red ones with the thorns."

"Sure, how many?"

"A bundle!"

He chuckled, and got up from his chair," sure, I'll get you some roses on the way home".

Charles had his going-out-of-town clothes on, but his trips usually varied from an hour to four days at a time. She wanted to make sure she had enough time to talk to Eugene in private.

Charles left and the mansion was quiet again. Rapunzel tiptoed around, trying to look for Eugene.

"Eugene!" she whispered. Rapunzel wandered through the rooms below the main floor. He wasn't there so she went upstairs and saw him coming out of a room.

"Eugene!"

A smile over came his face, but Rapunzel took no notice because she sprinted towards him as fast as her legs would take her, grabbed his hands, then quickly led him into an empty room.

Shutting the door, Rapunzel finally managed to wheeze out a couple of breathes. That sprint made her heart almost give out! She knew her previous athleticism was not as good as before, so she wasn't that surprised her short sprint had nearly knocked the wind out of her.

"Rapunzel, what the hell was that?" Rapunzel shushed him.

"Eugene, meet me in my room around two o'clock tonight in my room".

"What? Why? Why did you ign-" She didn't have time for him interrupting her.

"Shut the hell up!" he looked surprised, but impressed at the same time. It made her feel accomplished," look, I have a plan to get out of here, and you're a part of it, so come to my room tonight".

"Okaay, but why? Why can't you tell me the plan right now so we can get out sooner?"

* * *

Eugene had no idea what Rapunzel was getting at, but if she had a plan to get out of here, he couldn't care less. There were guards every where outside this place so getting out of here wouldn't be easy. He smiled, Rapunzel was so smart for figuring out a way to get out.

"Because, first, we need to have intercourse" she stared at him with an oblivious look on her face.

It took a while for Eugene to process what she just said.

"Haaa- Y-." he took a moment to take a deep breath,"uh, how is _this _part of the plan, really?"

Rapunzel grinned innocently then said,"don't worry, this is only part of it!"

Eugene scratched his head then sighed and shrugged. If she wanted to have a bit of fun before the real plan then hell, he wasn't complaining.

They agreed to meet up in her room at two and shook on it, which was a bit strange. He then went back to working his shift. She was scared of _rabbits _for crying out loud, but yet, Rapunzel demanded they have sex tonight. Eugene always took her for the naive and innocent type, but he guessed, he thought wrong.

He waited eagerly all day until night had fallen. Eugene made sure all the servants had went to sleep before quietly going up to Rapunzel's room. He knocked lightly on her door and she opened it, eagerness on her face. Her hair was styled so that it was out of the way.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned around before he could.

_So much for that _he thought bitterly.

Rapunzel plopped down on her bed then patted the spot next to her. Eugene then sat down next to her.

"Okay, I'm kind of new to this, so can you walk me through the steps?" Eugene chuckled and shook his head. He hasn't done it _that _many times, but Rapunzel made him seem like he was a male prostitute or something.

"Don't laugh! I don't know how this works!"

"No, you really don't" she scoffed and lightly punched him in the arm.

"Well, it would be easier to show you, rather than tell you" He then leaned in close to her, her big green eyes looking into his,"you ready?"

Rapunzel nodded.

He then pressed his lips against hers and press his body against hers. It was all too good until Rapunzel pushed him away.

* * *

"Wh-what are you doing?" Rapunzel released herself from Eugene's grasp.

He looked down at her, confused.

"I uh, thought that you wanted this, you know, with the whole '_we need to have intercourse'_ and all".

She had thought of intercourse as some kind of ritual or some kind of game with cards that they had to do to get her pregnant. The books simply said that intercourse led to pregnancy, it never clearly stated what intercourse _really _was.

"Oh...so there are no cards?"

"Wha- what are you talking about?"

"I always thought it was some kind of ritual or some kind of game, like checkers." Eugene stared at her for a bit, then threw his head back and laughed.

What was so funny? This was their ticket out of here, and Eugene is laughing!

"It's not funny!"

He wiped the tears from his eyes," yeah, it kind of is".

"Rapunzel, I don't think you're well educated enough about all" he gestured between Rapunzel and him"this, so um, I'll just be going now". Eugene got up and started to walk to the door.

"Wait!" she pulled on his sleeve," we need to do this in order for the plan to work."

Eugene looked rather uncomfortable, and Rapunzel couldn't blame him.

"Can you at least tell me the plan?" She thought for a moment. Should she? It would probably freak him out even more.

She shook her head.

He sighed," I don't think it's a good idea..."

"And I don't know either, but let's just try it and see"

"Fine, but I'm warning you now it's not exactly pleasant for a..._person _like you".

"I-is it painful?"

Eugene shrugged,"It kind of depends".

Rapunzel had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she was determined to do it.

"I'll do it anyways." He eyed her cautiously.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

...

He was right. It wasn't pleasant. _At all. _It was awkward, hot, and all too intensely close for Rapunzel.

When Rapunzel was living with her mother, sometimes, they would walk around in their undergarments, and it wouldn't matter to her, but undressing fully for Eugene, had to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences Rapunzel has ever had.

Rapunzel had almost slapped herself after she covered her eyes when Eugene stripped off his clothing. He started laughing after laying on top of her, his hard body burning to the touch, and it infuriated Rapunzel.

"What is so funny? We're doing it just like you said right?"

"Sorry, it's just that, never mind, let's just get this over with. Tell me if it's too painful, and I'll stop, okay?" Rapunzel slowly nodded.

_Is he going to punch me or something?_

Instead, she felt a rather painful stretching sensation between her legs. Rapunzel let out a cry of pain then tried to squirm away. Then she remembered why she was doing this in the first place and stopped. She took a deep breath then nodded at Eugene to keep going.

The first couple of minutes were particularly painful, but then the pain and uncomfortable sensation of stretching subsided.

After he was done, Eugene rolled off Rapunzel and collapsed onto the bed next to her.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It was...not what I had in mind."

They laid on the bed for a while before Eugene put his clothes on in haste. He then went over to Rapunzel and hesitantly kissed her on the cheek. She couldn't help but smile and kiss him back.

After Eugene shut the door behind him, Rapunzel buried herself within her blankets, not even bothering with her stray clothes around the room. The spot between her legs was still tender, but at least the deed was done. Rapunzel had counted the days of her monthly bleeding and calculated the best time to get pregnant, which was tonight. Her plan was to get pregnant, and when it did become quite obvious, Lord Williams will be so furious with her, he will probably throw Rapunzel out in to the streets, and that would be her way out of here.

...

That next morning, Rapunzel a woke to a too sunny bedroom. Her clothes were still strewn around her room, and she was still nude. Her hair was probably uncomb-able and she probably looked her worst in a few days. Rapunzel sat up and waited for the wave of nausea that was supposed to hit pregnant women every morning. But nothing ever came, which is strange. Later that day, she checked the books again, and according to the book, it would hit her any time between one to three weeks. It didn't sound pleasant, but it would be worth it.

Her freedom, Eugene, Mother, _everything._

* * *

Gothal had wandering the neighboring villages for about one or two months now, but yet no sign of Rapunzel. She hasn't turned to dust yet, but she was bound to any time soon. Her skin was no longer ivory, but now grayish and her once raven colored hair now white.

Gothal had found herself in panic when she returned from her trip. Rapunzel was gone, but Gothal did manage to find a crown under the stairs in their tower. It luckily caught the light when Gothal ripped off the curtains in a fit of rage. It was no ordinary crown, but the crown of Corona's beloved princess that disappeared eighteen years ago. A crown that belonged to Rapunzel.

Gothal then frantically searched through the satchel and found a worn out piece of paper with some wanted man's face on it.

She stared at the map before her, trying to ignore the fact that men were brawling all around her inside the heated bar. Gothal had checked almost all of the villages and town around Corona, and the chances of finding Rapunzel seemed slim.

_But._**  
**

A specific town caught her eye. The town of Eden, a somewhat large town west of Corona. It was surprising that she hasn't checked that town yet. Gothal rolled up her map then went outside to mount her horse.

She smirked; while trying to Rapunzel, Gothal figured that she might as well visit a wealthy man of whom she had a tryst with over twenty two years ago; a man named John Williams.

...

_End Part IV_

**Hey guys! Okay so quick note: I'm sorry if you didn't like this chapter, I really wanted to add a somewhat fun and awkward chapter to this story because I felt that the story so far has been melodramatic and kind of depressing.**

**Anyways, please tell me what you think of the chapter or of Gothal's brief appearance. CRITICISM IS NEEDED. Honestly.**

**A chapter coming soon! R&R**

**XXX **


End file.
